William p



, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. TRACY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE N. DAVIS .AND ARTHUR MEIGS.

' CABlNET-BE'DSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,555, dated March 4, 1890.

' Application 3163 April 8,1889. Serial No. 303,333. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. TRACY, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oabinet-Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates particularly to means for controlling the movement of the bedstead in opening and closing, said means being .arranged to exert a lifting action 011 the bedstead when properly adjusted and also to place the same under frictional restraint, whereby the weight of the bed is counterbalanced and may be easily operated in raising and lowering. The lifting force exerted bythe mechanism and also the frictional resistance are automatically variable to suit the diiferent positions of the bed in opening and closing to keep pace with the increase or decrease in the leverage.

The invention consists of a disk fixed to the side of the bedstead and arranged eccentrically to the pivot thereof, said disk being embraced by a strap under spring-tension.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section through the cabinet with the bed stead in side elevation, together with the controlling device therefor. Fig. 2 is a front view with the cabinet partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail View.

In the drawings, A is the cabinet, and B the bedstead, of ordinaryform. The bedsteadis pivotally supported on a shaft within the cabinet at points Z. On the outside of the side board are fixed disks 0, placed eccentrically to the pivot-shaft Z. These disks are embraced by movable straps or loops D, made of iron or other material, the extensions (1 of which pass through openings in the top of the cabinet. The upper ends of said extensions are threaded and have nuts 00 00, between which and the cabinet are springs y y. The

force exerted by these springs is transmitted through the straps, and by reason of the cocentricity of the disks tends constantly to lift the bed, and this force varies as the, bed

moves downward, the spring being compressed more and more and pulling harder upon the disk and bedstead as said bedstead swings down. Not only does the power of the springs tend to lift the bed, but it draws the straps harder against the periphery of the disks, and thus places the bedstead under greater frictional restraint as the bedlowers and counteracts the increased tendency to fall as gravity acts more and more upon it.

I have found by practical use of the inven tion that certain adjustments of the spring 60.

will cause the surfaces of the disk and straps to be in such strong frictional contact as to sometimes cause binding and hard working of the bedstead, and to remedy this the friction-roller shown in Fig. 3 maybe used. The

eccentric arrangement gives a crank-arm effect, and the friction is automatically adjusted as the high part of the cam comes into play.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, the cabinet, the bedstead journaled therein, the eccentric disks made fast about the journals to move with the bedstead, friction-straps encircling the disks, the yielding connections between the straps and the cabinet, the said disks being arranged to rotate within the straps, and nuts for adjusting the yielding connections, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the cabinet, the bedstead journaled therein, the eccentric disks made fast about the journals, friction-straps encircling thedisks, and the yielding connections between the straps and the cabinet, whereby the bed is counterbalanced by the friction between the eccentric disks and the friction-strap and by the resistance of the yielding connections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM P. TRACY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED CURRIER, E. L. Wnnewoon. 

